Happy Fourth of July!
Fourth of July picnics and parties will be held all across America this week celebrating the freedom that we have come to know and associate with living in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” Have you ever considered what your freedom really means? We learn in school about the freedom granted to us through the Constitution, but do we really consider what freedom means to us personally?
Consider freedom on a much deeper level, if you would. Do you consider yourself free or do you feel weighed down by worries and problems? The concerns that control our hearts and minds can take on a number of identities: money, sex, food, drugs, alcohol, people-pleasing, work, social status….the list could go on and on. When we find our lives controlled or dictated by a substance or circumstance, is it possible to experience true freedom?
I recently saw a demonstration where a backpack was filled with rocks that represented the problems and conflicts that people carry around with them. As the person wore that backpack and carried those “rocks” with him, he quickly became exhausted and began to feel pain. I believe it’s that way in our daily lives. We have the freedom to move and live and worship as we choose, but we are so tired and in pain from the “rocks” that we carry, we never get to fully experience what it means to be free.
As you share the picnic food and watch the fireworks light up the sky, I encourage you to consider the ways that you could lighten your load and truly experience freedom within. If you find that you are unable to do so alone and would like someone to help you unpack your backpack, please reach out to our offices. We would be honored to walk with you on your journey and help you lighten your load.
“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.”
Nathanial Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
Pre-Licensed Counselor, NCC, CCTP